Observe the size of the stump of this Ginkgo planted in 1862. Struck by a lightning in the middle of the last century, the tree recovered magnificently producing three shoots which, therefore, belong to the same individual. The Ginkgo is called ‘the fan tree’ in homage to the shape of its leaves. When in November, these turn bright yellow and fall to the ground, they form a golden carpet that allows one to appreciate the canopy breadth.

Italy’s monumental tree (cod: 27/E715/LU/09)
Scientific name: Ginkgo biloba L.
Family: Ginkgoaceae
Estimated age: more than 160 years old
Circumference at 1,30 m: 326-353-325 cm
Estimated height: 26 m

The species Ginkgo biloba is native from Cina. It is considered a living fossil and it seems to be extinct in the wild. In the East it has been cultivated in sacred places for millennia and arrived in Italy, at the Padova’s Botanical Garden, in 1750.

LOOK OUT FOR

• the leaves divided into two lobes, present at the tips of the youngest branches, from which the name ‘biloba’ comes from;

• the “chi chi”, udder-like structures, which in the East are considered a good omen for fertility. They form at the base of the oldest branches and our tree currently only has one. Some of the chemical compounds that contribute to the yellow colour of the leaves provide beneficial properties for many different ailments. Active ingredients are also extracted from the
  seeds, but our tree is a male, so it does not produce any.

Some of the chemical compounds that contribute to the yellow colour of the leaves provide beneficial properties for many different ailments. Active ingredients are also extracted from the seeds, but our tree is a male, so it does not produce any.